Embodiments are described herein that relate to devices and methods for anchoring medical device such as a prosthetic heart valve replacement, and more particularly to devices and methods for the post-deployment adjustment and/or re-positioning of such a medical device.
Some known prosthetic heart valves, such as prosthetic mitral valves, include one or more tethers that extend from the valve to the exterior of the heart, and are secured to an outer ventricular wall of the heart with an epicardial anchor device. During such procedures, positioning the anchor device and providing a desired tension to the securing tether can be challenging. Many known devices do not have the ability to make adjustments to the anchor device or to the tension of the tether after initial placement. Further, known devices do not have the ability to measure and monitor the tension on the tether during deployment of the valve to assist in providing an optimal tension and position.
Some problems associated with improper tensioning of a securing tether can include, for example, the tether becoming progressively slack over time, a tether which has been overtightened and is deforming the positioning of the deployed valve, and a tether which has been deployed in a less than optimal angular configuration or has migrated such that the valve axis is no longer orthogonal to the plane of the native valve's annulus.
Accordingly, there is a need for devices and methods for adjusting and/or repositioning a prosthetic heart valve after its initial deployment and for monitoring the tension on a securing tether extending from the prosthetic heart valve.